


Family Ties

by altkeys



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: M/M, original character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-11
Updated: 2012-05-11
Packaged: 2017-11-05 04:47:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/402587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/altkeys/pseuds/altkeys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A week ago, a lawyer dropped off some paperwork, a plain black box, and his father's last request.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family Ties

**Author's Note:**

> 9\. Moral Support

There's no urn, just a plain black box sitting in the backseat of his rental car. Every few miles he catches sight of it in the rear-view mirror and his hands clench tighter around the steering wheel.

Jack Coulson had been a bad father and an even worse husband. He'd been a drunk, a liar, a thief; he'd left the house one day when Phil was fifteen and he'd never looked back. Phil had never bothered to look for him in return. Phil had gotten every afternoon job he could get his hands on (some legal, so not so much); He'd worked hard in school to please his mother, and hard at work to provide for his sister. He'd graduated salutatorian, joined the army, and tried to think about his father as little as possible. It had mostly worked.

Then, a week ago, a lawyer had dropped off some paperwork, a plain black box, and his father's last request; to have ashes spread at the beach in San Diego. The beach where they used to go for family outings, the beach Phil hadn't been back to since the night his father left. He'd glared at the box and tried to resit the urge to throw his glass against the wall.

It took Phil three days to decide what to do. The first day he'd thought about just throwing the box out. No one would know, he'd reasoned, his mother had passed when he was thirty-five, his sister had presumed their father dead for years. He could throw the box away and be done with him, once and for all. The second day he'd stood on the bank of the Hudson river, close enough to his father's wishes but without any of the inconvenience. He'd stood their for an hour, switching the box from one hand to another, before sighing and turning to go back to his apartment.

The third day, Fury approved his request for leave and Clint showed up at his front door with a set of rental car keys and a backpack slung over his shoulder. Phil hadn't said anything, just grabbed his stuff and locked the door behind him. Now he's two days into a road trip with Clint, his estranged father's ashes mocking him from the backseat and his sister waiting for him in San Diego. He rolls his neck in a futile attempt to ease some of the tension and tries not to jump when Clint's hand lands on his shoulder.

"You don't have to do this." Clint says softly.

"I know." Phil replies as he takes a deep breath and keeps on driving.

\---

They make it to the beach almost an hour earlier than Phil had planned, but they're only walking around for a few minutes before he spots his sister Amy facing out towards the water. Her husband is standing next to her, strong and supportive and Phil has an abrupt moment of clarity. He glances over at Clint, who's walking silently next to him, who showed up at his door without being asked, and who knows him better than anyone else in the entire world. He reaches over and grabs Clint's hand, laces their fingers together, and tugs him closer.

"Phil?" Clint asks confused, though he makes no move to pull his hand away.

"I think I might be in love with you."

"Oh."

"That's it? Oh?"

"I've been in love with you for years and I'm pretty sure I haven't been very subtle about it."

"I don't think I wanted to see it." Phil admits. "I'm sorry I took so long."

"It's okay, I knew you'd come around." Clint stops him for a second then leans in and kisses him softly.

"Now stop stalling, I want to meet your sister and hear all the embarrassing childhood stories."

Phil kisses him one more time, shifts the box in his arm, and then starts leading Clint towards the shore.


End file.
